What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pelham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.3%).

Bourne has the oldest population (median age 52).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Pelham	Bourne
People
Population	14,449Lowest	20,323Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2.7Lowest 7% above U.S.	52±1.8Highest 34% above U.S.
Kids under 18	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%	14.7%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	29.8%±3.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	46%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.6%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bourne and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.	$91,058±$7kLowest 13% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$552,600±$27kLowest 66% above U.S.	$575,600±$28kHighest 73% above U.S.
	Bourne and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average	$1,379±$300Lowest about the U.S. average
	Pelham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.	$4,485Lowest 44% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	67.3%±12.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	62.8%±5.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Pelham and Bourne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.	26 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	22.8%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	14.9%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#48 of 120 in NH	#206 of 282 in MA
School district	Pelham School District	Bourne · Upper Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical
High school in town	Pelham High School	Upper Cape Cod Vocational Technical
Students per teacherat that high school	10.4Highest	9.8Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.